Marianne North

Marianne North was born in Hastings where her father became a Liberal MP. Her family supported Marianne’s attempts at singing and painting as suitable activities for a Victorian lady. After her parents died, Marianne sold the family home and began travelling with the aim of painting the flora of different countries. Between 1871 and 1885 Marianne North visited America, Canada, Jamaica, Brazil, Tenerife, Japan, Singapore, Sarawak, Java, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Seychelles and Chile.

During this time she travelled alone through the interior of Brazil for a year and through India for 18 months, often exploring areas unknown to Europeans. Darwin is supposed to have recommended to North that she visit Australia. On her return she visited Down House in 1881, to show the Darwins her paintings of Australian flora. Back in England she approached Kew Gardens to show her work and paid for a gallery to be built to house the collection. It is part of the attractions at Kew today.

Obliged for the shrub "Australian Sheep" [Raoulia eximia] and pleased to have seen MN’s Australian pictures. Can still recall scenes from various countries with vividness.

Related people

North, Marianne

1830–90

Painter and traveller. In the 1870s, visited Canada, the US, Jamaica, Brazil, California, Japan, Borneo, Java, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and India. Presented her collection of paintings to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for display in a gallery designed, furnished, and financed by herself. Visited Australia and New Zealand in 1880, South Africa and the Seychelles in 1882–3, and Chile in 1884–5.